Published 2 November 2026 · By Jatin Dua, Broker of Record, RE/MAX Quantum Realty
From January to October 2026, Clarington, Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering and Ajax had the GTA’s highest sale-to-list ratios, each averaging 99% of asking, according to TRREB. The TRREB area averaged 98%. Only Toronto districts sold over asking on average, led by E01 (Leslieville and Riverdale) at 108%.
This guide is for GTA sellers deciding how to price in 2027 and for buyers wondering how close to asking they will have to pay. You get the five GTA cities where homes sold closest to their list price in 2026, the Toronto districts where homes still sold over asking, and how to read the number without being misled by it.
What is a sale-to-list ratio?
A sale-to-list ratio compares what homes sold for with what they were listed at. TRREB calls it SP/LP. It is the average selling price divided by the average listing price for homes that sold in the period. At 100%, homes sold at asking on average. Above 100%, buyers paid over asking. Below 100%, sellers gave up some room.
Two details matter. First, it uses the final list price. If a seller cut the price and relisted, the ratio compares the sale with the lower price, not the first one. Second, it is a ratio of averages, so it shows the overall market, not what any single home did.
Which GTA cities had the highest sale-to-list ratios in 2026?
All five are in Durham Region. From January to October 2026, Clarington, Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering and Ajax each averaged 99% of list price, according to TRREB. The whole TRREB area averaged 98%. Because the five tie at 99% after rounding, I ranked them by their October 2026 ratio and then by how quickly homes sold.
| City | SP/LP Jan–Oct 2026 | SP/LP Oct 2026 | SP/LP Jan–Oct 2025 | SP/LP Jan–Mar 2022 | Avg days on market 2026 | Median price 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Clarington | 99% | 99% | 100% | 128% | 25 | $735,000 |
| 2. Whitby | 99% | 98% | 100% | 127% | 24 | $865,000 |
| 3. Oshawa | 99% | 98% | 101% | 128% | 27 | $665,000 |
| 4. Pickering | 99% | 98% | 99% | 124% | 28 | $850,000 |
| 5. Ajax | 99% | 97% | 100% | 127% | 25 | $832,000 |
| City of Toronto | 98% | 98% | 99% | 112% | 32 | $820,000 |
| Markham | 98% | 98% | 100% | 116% | 32 | $1,080,000 |
| Mississauga | 97% | 97% | 98% | 114% | 34 | $865,000 |
| Oakville | 96% | 95% | 97% | 110% | 34 | $1,270,000 |
| All TRREB areas | 98% | 97% | 98% | 114% | 32 | $870,000 |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, October 2026 (year to date and October), October 2025 (year to date) and March 2022 (January–March). All home types. Days on market are average listing days on market; medians are year-to-date 2026.
Two things stand out. Durham’s five cities were the only GTA municipalities at 99%, and they were also the fastest sellers, which I covered in the GTA cities where homes sell fastest. And every city on the list sold for less than asking in 2026, a big change from early 2022, when Durham buyers paid well over list.
1. Clarington: 99% and the steadiest in October
Clarington takes in Bowmanville, Courtice, Newcastle and Orono, the eastern edge of the GTA. It held 99% of asking for the ten months and again in October 2026, the only one of the five to do so. Homes sold in 25 days on average.
Who it suits: buyers who want a freehold house at the lowest GTA price points. The median detached home sold for $820,000 from January to October 2026, down 4.1% from 2025, and the median freehold townhouse for $647,850 (TRREB MLS data via REALM).
What to check: the commute. Metrolinx is building a GO extension of nearly 20 km to Bowmanville; the main construction contract was awarded in January 2026, but no service date has been published. Do not pay a premium for a station that is not running yet.
2. Whitby: the fastest of the five
Whitby includes Brooklin, Downtown Whitby, Port Whitby, Taunton North and Williamsburg. It matched 99% for the year to date, slipped to 98% in October, and had the shortest average selling time of any GTA municipality at 24 days.
Who it suits: families moving up from a townhouse. The median detached price was $977,000 (down 6.2%) and the median freehold townhouse $765,000 (down 4.4%), one of the smaller townhouse drops in the GTA.
What to check: Brooklin and south Whitby are different markets with different housing ages. Compare sales on your own street, not the town average.
3. Oshawa: the lowest prices and the most sales
Oshawa had 1,529 sales from January to October 2026, the most of the five, at a median of $665,000 across all home types. It averaged 99% of asking for the year and 98% in October. Communities include Centennial, Eastdale, Kedron, Northglen, Samac, Taunton and Windfields in the north, and Central, Lakeview and Vanier closer to the lake.
Who it suits: first-time buyers and investors watching every dollar. The median detached house was $730,000 and the median semi $610,000 (REALM).
What to check: Oshawa’s prices fell more than its neighbours’. Detached medians dropped 8.8% and freehold townhouses 10.5% compared with 2025. A high sale-to-list ratio did not stop prices from sliding; it only means sellers who priced to the new market got close to asking.
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4. Pickering: closest to Toronto
Pickering sits right next to Scarborough. Its communities include Amberlea, Bay Ridges, Duffin Heights, Rosebank, Rougemount, Town Centre and West Shore. It averaged 99% for the year and 98% in October, with homes selling in 28 days.
Who it suits: buyers who work in Toronto and want a shorter drive or GO ride than the rest of Durham. That convenience costs more: the median detached price was $1,039,999, down 8.0% from 2025.
What to check: Pickering’s ratio actually held steady. It was 99% in 2025 as well, while the other four slipped from 100% or 101%.
5. Ajax: 99% for the year, softer in October
Ajax had a median sale price of $832,000 and a 25-day average selling time from January to October 2026. Its October ratio dipped to 97%, the same as the TRREB average, which is why it ranks fifth.
Who it suits: buyers who want a newer subdivision house between Pickering and Whitby prices. The median detached home sold for $925,000, down only 4.2%.
What to check: one month is a small sample. Ajax had 74 sales in October, so a handful of deals can move the monthly ratio.
Where in Toronto are homes still selling over asking?
The City of Toronto averaged 98% overall, but several of its east-end and west-end districts beat asking. These are TRREB districts, not cities, so they are not in the top five, but they are where most bidding happened in 2026. For a deeper look, see my east end Toronto market outlook.
| Toronto district | Main communities | SP/LP Jan–Oct 2026 | Avg days on market | Median price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E01 | Leslieville area: South Riverdale, North Riverdale, Greenwood-Coxwell, Blake-Jones | 108% | 18 | $1,192,500 |
| E02 | The Beaches, East End-Danforth, Woodbine Corridor | 105% | 18 | $1,218,000 |
| W02 | Junction Area, High Park North, Runnymede-Bloor West Village | 104% | 20 | $1,175,000 |
| E03 | Danforth Village-East York, East York, Broadview North | 103% | 22 | $1,100,000 |
| W01 | High Park-Swansea, Roncesvalles, South Parkdale | 102% | 28 | $995,000 |
Source: TRREB Market Watch, October 2026, City of Toronto breakdown, year to date, all home types. Community names from TRREB Q2 2026 community reports.
The pattern is about home type as much as place. Across the TRREB area in October 2026, semi-detached homes sold for 101% of asking and freehold row houses for 99%, while detached homes, condo townhouses and condo apartments averaged 97%.
Is a 99% sale-to-list ratio the same as a bidding war?
No. A 99% ratio means homes sold, on average, about 1% under the final asking price. On a $735,000 Clarington home that is roughly $7,000 to $8,000 of room. Compare that with January to March 2022, when Clarington and Oshawa averaged 128% of asking.
The ratio also hides price cuts. TRREB tracks two selling times: listing days on market (the last listing only) and property days on market (counting earlier listings of the same home by the same seller and brokerage). In Durham Region from January to October 2026, the first averaged 27 days and the second 42 days. That gap is homes that were taken off, repriced and relisted. Those sales still count near 99% because they sold close to the lower, final price.
Do not price a Durham home at 2025 levels because the area shows 99%. The ratio stayed high because most sellers who sold had already adjusted their price. Detached medians in all five cities fell between 4.1% and 8.8% compared with 2025. An overpriced listing tends to sit, get cut and sell later at the market price anyway.
How should buyers and sellers use sale-to-list numbers in 2027?
If you are selling
Use the ratio to set expectations, not the price. Your price should come from recent sales of similar homes nearby. Then expect to land within a point or two of asking if you price right. If your home has been listed more than the area’s average days on market, the price is usually the problem.
If you are buying
In most of the GTA there is room to negotiate. The exceptions are well-priced freehold homes in Toronto’s east and west ends, where competing offers are still common. My guide on how much over asking to offer in Toronto covers that situation. Also note that the Bank of Canada raised its policy rate to 2.50% on 28 October 2026, and big-bank prime moved to 4.70%, so get your pre-approval refreshed before you shop.
A 99% market is a fair market. Sellers who price to today’s sales get close to asking, and buyers can still negotiate on condition dates and small amounts. I would not expect Durham to return to over-asking prices in 2027 unless rates fall and sales pick up together, and that is not the current Bank of Canada direction. For a wider view of competition, read whether bidding wars are back in the GTA.
What to do next
- Look up your city’s sale-to-list ratio and days on market in the latest TRREB Market Watch before you list or bid.
- Pull three to six sales of homes like yours from the last 90 days, on your street or in your community.
- Run an estimate with the tool above, then compare it with those sales.
- If you are buying, set your top price before you see a list price, and refresh your mortgage pre-approval at the new rates.
- Book a call if you want a pricing plan built on your street’s numbers, not the city average.
Need help with this? Talk to me.
I’m Jatin Dua, Broker of Record at RE/MAX Quantum Realty, and I’m the best agent to do this kind of work for you in Toronto and across the GTA. Over $100 million in GTA sales and 100+ families helped sell. Feel free to contact me any time: call or text 833-330-1925 or email [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
What GTA city has the highest sale-to-list ratio in 2026?
Clarington ranks first. From January to October 2026, homes in Clarington sold for 99% of their final list price on average, and it was the only GTA city to hold 99% again in October 2026, according to TRREB. Whitby, Oshawa, Pickering and Ajax also averaged 99% for the year but slipped to 97% or 98% in October.
Where are homes selling over asking in the GTA?
Mainly in Toronto’s east and west ends. From January to October 2026, Toronto district E01 (Leslieville and Riverdale) averaged 108% of asking, E02 (the Beaches) 105%, W02 (the Junction and Bloor West Village) 104% and E03 (East York) 103%, according to TRREB. No GTA city outside Toronto averaged above 99% in 2026.
What is a good sale-to-list ratio in the GTA?
In 2026, anything at 99% or higher was strong. The TRREB area averaged 98% from January to October 2026 and 97% in October. Durham Region’s cities led at 99%. A ratio near 100% means homes sell close to asking; ratios of 94% to 96%, seen in King and Oakville, mean buyers had more room to negotiate.
Is the sale-to-list ratio the same as selling over asking?
No. A ratio above 100% means homes sold over asking on average, but most GTA areas were below 100% in 2026. TRREB’s SP/LP compares the average sale price with the average final list price, so a home that was cut and relisted can still show close to 100%. Check days on market too.
How much below asking are GTA homes selling in 2026?
About 2% to 3% below asking on average. TRREB reported a 98% sale-to-list ratio for January to October 2026 and 97% in October 2026 across its whole area. That works out to roughly $20,000 to $30,000 on a $1,000,000 home. Durham cities were closer to asking at 99%; Oakville and King were further below.
Why do homes in Durham Region sell so close to asking?
Durham has the GTA’s lowest prices and fastest sales. From January to October 2026, Durham Region’s median price was $787,000 against $870,000 for the whole TRREB area, and homes sold in 27 days versus 32. Lower prices keep more buyers qualified, so well-priced homes attract offers quickly, even though prices still fell compared with 2025.
Did sale-to-list ratios go down in 2026?
Yes, slightly. Clarington, Whitby and Ajax went from 100% in January to October 2025 to 99% in 2026, Oshawa from 101% to 99%, and Markham from 100% to 98%, according to TRREB. The TRREB-wide ratio held at 98%. All are far below early 2022, when the TRREB area averaged 114%.
Which home type sells for the most over asking in the GTA?
Semi-detached homes. In October 2026, semis across the TRREB area sold for 101% of asking on average, and Toronto semis for 102%. Freehold row townhouses averaged 99%, while detached houses, condo townhouses and condo apartments each averaged 97%, according to TRREB’s Market Watch.
Should I list my house below market value to get multiple offers in 2027?
Only in areas and home types that still draw competing offers, such as Toronto east-end semis selling at 103% to 108% of asking in 2026. In most of the GTA, homes sold just under asking, so a low list price can simply become your sale price. Base the strategy on your street’s recent sales and days on market.
Sources
- TRREB Market Watch, October 2026
- TRREB Market Watch, October 2025
- TRREB Market Watch, March 2022
- TRREB news release: October 2026 market results (4 November 2026)
- Metrolinx: Bowmanville Extension
- TRREB community report, Clarington Q2 2026
- TRREB community report, Toronto East Q2 2026
- TRREB community report, Oshawa Q2 2026
Related reading
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Mississauga in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Brampton in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Markham in 2027
- Top 5 Best Neighbourhoods to Live in Oakville in 2027
About the author — Jatin Dua, Toronto and GTA real estate broker
I am Jatin Dua, Broker of Record and co-founder of RE/MAX Quantum Realty Inc., Brokerage, Unit 101, 799 The Queensway, Toronto. I work with buyers and sellers across Toronto and the GTA and have helped more than 100 families sell. Four-plus years of active GTA transactions and over $100 million in sales volume.
Reach me at [email protected] or 833-330-1925, or book a call.